Mandy's Tree Care & Landscape Maintenance

05/08/2026

Ground crew member opening: Looking for a dependable, hard working individual to join our tree crew for the season. Saw experience would be nice but not required. We work 4-10’s. Pay DOE.

04/28/2026

I was out driving around last week and noticed this tree laying in someone’s lawn. It is a prime example of what can happen when a tree is improperly planted. You can see in the second photo, the red line is the depth at which the tree should’ve been planted at and the blue line is the depth that it was planted at. One of the reactions a tree has after being planted too deep is growing adventitious roots, which you can see circled in red in the third picture. Adventitious roots are a mechanism of survival for a tree when the main root system is compromised, such as being buried too deep. You will also see, circled in blue in the last picture, is an encircling root. If the excess soil had been removed from the root flare of this tree during planting, that encircling root could have been found and pruned appropriately. Encircling roots will girdle and eventually kill a tree.
What’s the lesson here? Don’t plant your trees too deep!!!!

04/20/2026

04/16/2026

If you have smaller ornamental trees that you can reach to shake/brush/blow the snow off of, get your winter gear on (you know that gear that we didn’t use for the last four months) and try to get as much snow off your trees that you can!!!

03/30/2026

Core-Aeration versus Power Raking
Core-aeration solves several underlying lawn problems in a single treatment. Small plugs of soil and grass are mechanically removed. Aeration reduces compaction, speeds up thatch decomposition, and can enhance water, nutrient, and oxygen movement in the soil. When compaction is reduced roots can grow deeper. Those deep roots are more resistant to temperature fluctuations.
Power raking is a thatch control process. Thatch is a layer of tightly intermingled layers of dead grass stems, roots and organic debris that builds up between the vegetation layer and the soil surface. A thin layer of thatch is a good thing. It regulates soil temperatures and moisture. If done incorrectly power raking can damage the turf by injuring the crowns and roots of turf.

Resources
https://www.montana.edu/extension/broadwater/blog-article.html?id=20089
https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/lawn-care-basics/
https://blogs.k-state.edu/turf/power-raking-or-core-aeration-that-is-the-question/

02/25/2026

Rocks and Pots – Perched Water Tables🪴🪴
It used to be the thing to do, placing rocks or pottery shards at the bottom of the pot to help with drainage. This is a myth. Rocks in the bottom of pots cause problems.
Water does not want to move from one texture to another unless the upper layer is saturated. Water “perches” above the next texture layer. This area has reduced oxygen for roots and is the perfect location for root rots to take hold. A rock layer also limits the amount of space for roots because the saturated area has been raised in the pot. A high quality, well-draining, potting mix will reduce areas of saturation.
A few resources from other science-based sources.
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/root-rots-houseplants/
https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/drainage-containers
https://gardenprofessors.com/container-planting-intuition-vs-reality/

02/23/2026

Little crane work before the wind picks up!

02/11/2026

This is why it is so important to read the label on every pesticide you use!

The City of Columbia Falls recently had 11 ponderosa pine trees removed from Pinewood Park.

02/05/2026

Your trees are thirsty!!!!! Especially those evergreens. With this unseasonably warm and dry weather we have been experiencing the past 2 months, we need to be out watering our trees. Even the newer planted deciduous trees need a drink. The above ground parts may be dormant but the roots are still active. Most of the valley doesn’t have much, if any, of a frost layer right now. The next couple days are perfect for watering the roots!

02/03/2026

🌱 Welcome to the Chamber, Mandy's Tree Care & Landscape Maintenance! 🌱

We’re excited to welcome Mandy’s Tree Care as the newest member of our Chamber community! From expert tree care to keeping our landscapes healthy and beautiful, they’re a great addition to our growing network of local businesses.

Please join us in giving them a warm welcome—and be sure to check out their work and support a fellow chamber member! 🌳💪
https://mandystreecare.com/